Rumor: New Tesla Semi test units being built at Gigafactory Nevada

[TSemi]

Rumor: New Tesla Semi test units being built at Gigafactory Nevada

Recent rumors from the electric vehicle community have suggested that four new Tesla Semi units are being built at Gigafactory Nevada. The vehicles, which are reportedly equipped with 2170 “L” battery cells, would be utilized for road, durability, and cold-weather testing.

The update on Tesla’s apparent Semi initiatives was shared recently by electric vehicle advocate @Carsonight, who has proven familiar with Gigafactory Nevada’s activities. Citing an unnamed source, the EV advocate noted that the new Tesla Semi units will feature three 2170 L battery packs. Two units will reportedly be used for road testing, one for durability testing, and another will be sent to Alaska for cold-weather testing.


https://twitter.com/carsonight/status/1342993307555676160?s=20

 

[Cal1]

I’m amazed they haven’t completed this stuff already! WTF have they been doing for the last couple of years? Not sure I believe this but of course I have no source for any real conclusions. I assumed all this mess was already done when Elon said they were going to start production. Guess that’s why they call it a rumor.

 

[TSemi]

Tesla Semi Appears in Autopilot Code & Giga Nevada May Be Building 4 Semis with New Battery Tech

Tesla Semi will be a game-changer in the hauling industry. It's been some time since we've heard major updates to its progress. Now we are learning that, reportedly, Tesla is building four new Semis at its Giga Nevada factory, which will use new cells with a higher energy density. All of them will later be used for various tests. What's more, Tesla hacker @greentheonly/Twitter recently discovered that current production Autopilot already includes some coding for Semi. As he explained on Twitter, Semi has 10 cameras, with an extra repeater on the right side (unclear if this is also true for the left). And, Semi will be operating on HW3.2.

@carsonight/Twitter reports that it received information from a source familiar with the case that Tesla is building four new Semis at a factory in Nevada. They will be manufactured using a new battery cell technology other than 2170 and 4680. It is reported that new cells with a higher density--called 2170L--will be used for the builds. The source says that the battery pack will consist of three blocks arranged in a row, each of which is half the size of the Model S.


Also,

This would be an excellent compromise for use in Semi. Its production was originally planned using 2170 battery cells. The new 4680 battery cells were developed by Tesla relatively recently, so their use for the Semi is not possible just yet. Once Tesla is able to produce the 4680 at the required scale, the entire line of cars, including Semi, will be produced using them. At the moment, it is known that the first model in which the new 4680 cells will be used will be the Model Y made in Germany. The improved 2170L cells should be more than sufficient to meet all the stated characteristics of the Semi.

Given this report of a new battery, four Semis being built, and now also the findings of @greentheonly/Twitter, it seems that we will see Tesla Semi on the roads before we know it.

Read the story here from TESMANIAN Tesla Semi Appears in Autopilot Code & Giga Nevada May Be Building 4 Semis with New Battery Tech

 

[ThomasD]

How many trucks are they testing now

 

[TSemi]

Tesla Semi job openings posted for Gigafactory Nevada

The Tesla Semi program appears to be hitting its stride. Just days after reports emerged stating that four new prototypes of the Semi are being built at Gigafactory Nevada, the electric car maker posted some job openings related to its Class 8 truck.

As observed by electric vehicle advocate Ryan Alvarez, the Tesla Semi-related jobs were listed for Sparks, Nevada where Gigafactory 1 is located. So far, positions such as a Process Engineer and Process Technician for the Semi have been posted on Tesla’s Careers page. The job listings were uploaded on December 29, 2020.

Read story here from TESLARATI Tesla Semi job openings posted for Gigafactory Nevada

 

[EVortex]

The two original semis have been on the road for a while doing runs between Fremont and Sparks, and delivering cars when needed. Good opportunity for real-world testing over the last couple of years.

 

[FEERSUMENDJIN]

Cool 200% increase in fleet size

 

[ThomasD]

Since they are building more trucks for testing does that mean that there will be another delay in production and delivering to customers. Or are these trucks being built for customers to test. Get feed back from customers on what needs to be changed or added to the truck